Lasers take Swiss-style lathes to higher level

Swiss-style lathes are among the most flexible and accurate of all CNC machine tools.

They’ve long been a favorite of medical parts manufacturers because of their ability to produce complex bone screws and cannulas in a single handling. Hydraulics manufacturers use Swiss-style lathes to machine check valves, automakers use them to produce brake and fuel injection components, and defense manufacturers use the machines to turn firing pins and other tiny parts.

With their twin spindles, multiple axes, dozens of tools and the possibility of cutting several part features simultaneously, they’re easily the kings of small-part production turning.

Donning a Shiny New Mantle

Today, the king has a new crown. By integrating laser-based cutting and, in some cases, welding heads onto their already-capable equipment, Swiss-style lathe builders are taking these machines into bold new territory.

Graham Noake, Tsugami LaserSwiss vice president of Rem Sales LLC, Windsor, Conn., the exclusive U.S. distributor for Tsugami, said the machine builder first added lasers to address the needs of the medical industry. Since then, other opportunities have opened up.

Image courtesy of Marubeni Citizen-Cincom.

“We saw a large variety of tubular parts that were first laser-cut and then sent for secondary machining operations to add grooves, chamfers, knurls, etc.,” he said. “By combining a laser head with a Swiss-style lathe, these operations, and others, can be completed on a single machine, reducing both part cost and lead time.”

Unlike traditional machining processes, Noake said, laser light exerts no tool pressure. There’s no part deflection or distortion. Also, a laser beam can be highly focused, allowing it to cut slots and holes down to 0.0006″ (0.015mm), features almost impossible to produce with conventional cutting tools.

Even in those cases where a tool is available, lasers cut significantly faster through thin walls, with no worry about damaging a tiny, often expensive, drill or endmill. This capability makes them ideal for stents, pins and other medical components, which often measure less than 2mm (0.0787″) in diameter.

A laser-equipped Swiss-style machine can reduce cycle times and extend tool life on subsequent finishing tools. Image courtesy of Tsugami.

That’s not to say lasers are limited to Lilliputian parts and part features. Tsugami and other machine builders offer laser-equipped Swiss machines with up to 32mm (1.26″) bar capacity and laser power of 400w or higher for cutting walls thicker than the 3mm (0.118″) recommended for lower-powered devices.

Laser-equipped Swiss machines are edging into other territories as well. “Customers that were previously pure laser or EDM houses are seeking to add value by expanding their capabilities,” Noake said. “Laser cutting is much faster than EDM and, in most cases, yields similar or better results.”